The present invention generally relates to abrasively cleaning burrs, scales and the like from elongate cylindrical objects such as metallic rod, pipe and, especially, continuous strands of wire.
One known type of machine for abrasively cleaning a continuous wire strand uses a rotating sanding belt which orbits about the wire as the wire is pulled past and against the belt. A machine of this basic variety is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,559,348. This machine effectively abrades and cleans the entire outside or circumferential surface of the wire by simply pulling the wire through the machine. Two types of rotation and, therefore, two types of drives are used in this machine. One drive rotates an endless sanding belt mounted transverse to and in contact with the wire, while another drive orbits the entire sanding belt about the wire such that the entire outer circumference is abraded as the wire travels past the sanding belt.
While machines of this type have been generally quite efficient and successful, certain areas for further improvements exist and are addressed by the present invention. One involves the life of the drive components used to both rotate and orbit the sanding belt with respect to the wire strand. As these machines are often continuously used in high volume production runs, the drive components tend to wear out from the combination of the continuous operation of the machine and the adverse effects of having the gritty by-products of the descaling operation infiltrate the drive mechanisms.
Another problem of past abrading machines of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,559,348 involves the ability to tension the sanding belt to maintain proper tracking and to maintain forceful contact between the belt and the wire strand as the belt is orbited about the wire. The tensioning system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,559,348 is quite complicated in design and has many components which increase the cost of the machine and the propensity for the machine to break down. Another need involves the ability to easily remove and replace the sanding belt.
There is, therefore, a need for an abrading machine which is relatively more simple in construction than past machines, but which has various advantages over such past machines. These advantages would include longer drive life, simpler belt tensioning or tracking adjustment, and easier belt removal and replacement.